Having payroll issues? Learn how to troubleshoot blocked payroll.
Setting up payroll in Missouri for the first time
Before you can pay employees in a new state, you must register with the state’s tax agencies. This lets you file and pay the right taxes.
Use the dropdowns below to learn more. Use CMD + F (or CTRL + F) to search for words in the article.
Before we can help register you with tax agencies, you need to register your business with the Missouri Secretary of State (on your own).
Gusto works with Middesk to help you register with tax agencies in new states.
For now, this includes: Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
Get help registering for state taxes
We can help you register for state tax accounts after you:
Cost, timeline, and who can register
The cost, steps, and turnaround time depend on the state. Gusto will show you these details when you start the registration process.
Middesk cannot help if your company is:
What the process looks like
Third-Party Access (TPA) and Power of Attorney (POA)reminder
Some state agencies need Gusto to have TPA or a POA on file to file and pay your taxes. Usually, Middesk does not set this up, so you’ll have to do it yourself after registration.
Check the state registration articles to see if TPA or POA is needed and how to set it up. If there's no “Authorize Gusto” section, then TPA is not needed right now.
If setting up TPA requires online agency portal access:The cost, steps, and turnaround time depend on the state. Gusto will show you these details when you start the registration process.
Need help with registration questions?
If you’re not sure how to answer one of the registration questions, check Middesk’s Help Center or email them at [email protected].
How to get started with state tax registration in Gusto:
Important: You may need to give Gusto access
Some states require you to give Gusto third-party access (TPA) or a Power of Attorney (POA) to your tax accounts. Middesk does not do this for you.
Need to make a change?
If you already submitted your info but need to fix something, email [email protected] to update it.
When your order is complete, you’ll get emails from Gusto and Middesk. They’ll detail the next steps, which include:
Before your order is done, you can check the order status in your Gusto account:
For most states where tax registration info is sent by physical mail, here's what to expect:
Q: Can I run payroll before my registration is done?
A: Yes. You may be asked to enter tax rates and tax deposit frequencies, but you can use temporary info.
Important reminders
Q: I need to change some of the registration information that was submitted. What do I do?
A: Email Middesk at [email protected].
Q: Can I use Gusto to register in a new state without a Federal Employer Identification Number (FEIN)? What if my business is merging or being acquired?
A: No, you need a FEIN in Gusto to get registration help for state taxes.
If your business is merging or being acquired, Middesk cannot help with registration. You'll need to work with a tax advisor and state agencies directly.
Q: What if I'm not liable for unemployment tax yet?
A: If you want Middesk to start setting up an unemployment account number before you're liable, you can:
Q: Can Middesk help if the responsible party is international without an ITIN or SSN?
A: No. Middesk cannot help in this scenario, you'll need to register on your own.
Q: Why am I unable to enter 0% ownership for the responsible party or add a commercial owner?
A: Some states have a 1% minimum for the responsible party's ownership percentage. These states include ID, KS, MN, OH, SC, DC, DE, MD, NJ, NY, and RI.
You’ll need to place registration orders directly with Middesk outside of Gusto or register directly with the agency.
Some states require an individual owner to be listed. If you’re a non-profit or unsure, contact Middesk for help at [email protected].
Q: When will my tax account information be available?
A: Each state and agency takes a different amount of time to process a registration. To estimate when your state tax account info will be available, check the Post Submission Questions in Middesk's help article.
Q: Where can I find my tax information?
A: You can find your tax info in several places:
Gusto’s state tax registration service does not contain tax, legal, financial, or HR advice. Since rules and regulations change over time and can vary by location, consult a lawyer, HR expert, or accountant for specific guidance.
Q: Does Middesk help with giving Gusto third-party access (TPA) or Power of Attorney (POA) for tax payments?
A: Some state agencies need Gusto to have TPA or POA access to file and pay your taxes. Usually, Middesk does not set this up, so you’ll have to do it yourself after registration.
Check the state registration articles to see if TPA or POA is needed and how to set it up. If there's no “Authorize Gusto” section, then TPA is not needed right now.
If setting up TPA or POA requires online agency portal access:
Q: Does Middesk help close state tax accounts?
A: No, you'll need to close the tax account yourself.
Q: Can I cancel my Middesk order?
A: At this time, we do not support order cancellations or refunds.
Q: What is Middesk's phone number?
A: To get support from Middesk, you must email them at [email protected]. They can help with registration-specific questions, or changing info that's already been submitted. For all other questions, you can message Gusto.
Click the dropdowns below to learn how to register with state agencies—start by registering your business with the Secretary of State. Do not forget to give Gusto the third-party access (TPA) we'll need to file and pay certain taxes.
Before you can sign up for Missouri state tax accounts, you must register your business with the Missouri Secretary of State (SOS).
Who does not need to register?
You do not need to register if you are one of these:
If you’re not sure if your company needs to register with the Secretary of State, call them at (866) 223-6535.
When you start a business in Missouri, you'll need to register for both income and unemployment taxes at the same time. Here’s what will happen:
You’ll need to enter these numbers and the deposit schedule into Gusto by going to the Taxes & compliance section and selecting Tax setup.
After a work address in Missouri is assigned to one or more employees, you can add your tax account information:
If you edit a tax account number after payments or filings have already been made, there may be tax implications. Learn how to pull reports in Gusto that can help you correct any historical tax issues related to tax account number updates.
Employees who live or work in Kansas City, MO have to pay a City Earnings tax.
For businesses outside Kansas City
If your business is not in Kansas City, but you have employees who live there, you don’t have to withhold this tax from their paychecks. But you can choose to do it as a favor, or courtesy, to your employees. If you want to do this, register for a City of Kansas City withholding account, and then contact us from the Help section of Gusto so we can help set everything up.
Account ID and Letter ID required
Gusto needs your “Account ID” and “Letter ID” to file and pay your Kansas City taxes. You can enter these in Gusto by going to the Taxes & compliance section and choosing Tax setup.
For businesses in St. Louis
If your business is in St. Louis, you must register with the St. Louis Collector of Revenue so Gusto can pay and file your taxes.
For businesses outside St. Louis
If your business is outside St. Louis, but you have employees who live there, you do not have to withhold this tax. But there are still rules to follow:
Register for the St. Louis City Tax
Check St. Louis City Tax Liability—verify whether an address is in the city
You can also call the agency at (314) 622-3291 and ask the "Earnings Tax Department" to check for you.
If you've already registered in the state, you'll need to enter your tax account details in Gusto.
You'll need to be registered with one or more of the below agencies for Gusto to file and pay taxes for you.
If you still need to register, click the applicable dropdown above in this article to learn more.
If you've run payroll in Missouri before, you can find your eight-digit withholding Tax ID Number by:
Note: Tax ID information is private and will only be given to a listed company officer or someone with Power of Attorney.
After registering with the Missouri Department of Revenue, you should have received your tax deposit schedule. If you do not know it or registered over a year ago, call the Missouri Department of Revenue at (573) 522-0967 to confirm your deposit schedule.
If you've run payroll in Missouri before, you can find your Unemployment Employer Account Number (EAN) by:
The account number should be ten digits, like this: 00-00000-0-00.
You can find your Unemployment Insurance tax rate by:
If you do not have your rate yet, enter the new employer rate for Missouri in Gusto for now. Update the rate once you get it.
After a work address in Missouri is assigned to one or more employees, you can add your tax account information:
If you edit a tax account number after payments or filings have already been made, there may be tax implications. Learn how to pull reports in Gusto that can help you correct any historical tax issues related to tax account number updates.
Learn how to authorize Gusto as your third-party agent (TPA) for the agencies below.
Gusto needs your “Account ID” and “Letter ID” to file and pay your Kansas City taxes. You can enter these in Gusto by going to the Taxes & compliance section and choosing Tax setup.
Giving Gusto access helps us keep your Missouri DOR income tax information up-to-date so we can make accurate payments and help you avoid tax notices, penalties, or interest.
Follow the steps below to give Gusto access to your online account:
Timely compensation deduction
If employers file and pay their MO-941 return on time, they can keep a small percentage of their employees' income tax withholding—Gusto automatically handles this for you.
When you look at reports in Gusto, you'll see the total MO income tax withheld and a negative amount, showing the MO compensation deduction that stays with the employer.
Tax payment rounding
Missouri requires all income tax payments to be rounded to the nearest dollar. Here's how Gusto handles it:
You can view forms in Taxes & Compliance > Tax documents. Switch between the tabs to find federal, state, W-2s, and 1099s.
To see what Gusto has paid on your behalf, run the Agency Payments report.
Learn how to close or reopen tax accounts here.